Optical modulators have a variety of applications, for example, in signal processing, optical communication, and radio frequency (RF) communication. Conventional electro-optic modulators have an optical modulation transfer function that is inherently nonlinear, which limits the spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) of such modulators. Another conventional approach uses direct modulation of the optical intensity of a laser, but chirp and inefficient power handling are typically drawbacks to this approach.